Commuters face chaos over midweek Tube strike

PUBLISHED: 18:34 28 May 2009 | UPDATED: 16:14 07 September 2010

THOUSANDS of Tube workers have voted to strike over disputes about job losses, pay and working conditions. The vote by members of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT), the Tube's biggest union, means workers will begin a 48-hour strike at 18.59 on June 9

THOUSANDS of tube workers have voted to strike over disputes about job losses, pay and working conditions.

The vote by members of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT), the tube's biggest union, means workers will begin a 48-hour strike at 18.59 on June 9 which is expected to bring the whole network to a standstill.

RMT said workers voted overwhelming in favour of a strike with 2,810 for and 488 against.

It has accused London Underground of deliberately provoking the dispute by threatening to tear up an agreement aimed at safeguarding jobs, and refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies which would put 3,000 jobs are at risk.

A five-year pay deal has been described as "unacceptable" by the union and it is also striking in opposition to TfL's planned £2.4billion efficiency savings package.

General secretary of the RMT Bob Crow said: "This is a magnificent result which underlines the anger that has been provoked by management in their confrontational approach on pay and job security.

"London Underground seems to think that observing agreements is optional, and its plan to cut jobs is simply unacceptable."

A spokesman for Transport for London said: "The RMT leadership has failed to engage in any meaningful talks on pay, instead submitting a wildly unrealistic claim - demanding a five per cent pay rise for fewer hours in the middle of a recession.

"On jobs, the RMT leadership knows full well we are seeking to end the duplication of back office jobs and that no front line staff will be affected.

"Our offer guarantees real wage increases for the next five years. Very few Londoners have that level of certainty for the future.

"This review does not impact on front-line staff working on trains, stations or maintenance and there will be no impact on tube services.

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